Cornered
by syrupjunkie
Summary: Confessions always come at bad times, for instance Yamato's wedding day. Taito. [Complete]
1. Confessions At Bad Times

Author's Notes:  Hmm…just a Taito series I wrote a couple of months ago, but never typed up.  I guess it's not bad, just needs a bit of editing.  I know it's been done, but thought I'd like to see how my take on it would be.  Reviews would be greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer:  Yes, Digimon is not mine…yet.  I'm just waiting for the final planetary alignment.  *mad scientist laughter*

**Cornered**

Chapter 1:  Confessions at Bad Times

Yamato knew there was something wrong, and that there shouldn't have been.  It was his wedding day and everything was supposed to be perfect, and everything was, on the outside anyway.  The church around him was cavernous, the priest before him smiling benevolently.  A small group of friends and family were gathered behind him, brimming with happiness.  Sora was beaming in her wedding dress, watching him with eager eyes.  The bridesmaids semi-circled around on one side while his brother and Taichi enclosed the other.  It was the moment of anticipatory silence after 'Do you take this woman…?', and yet something wasn't right, nothing so tangible as physical crisis, more like the one puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.

Yamato hesitated, averting his eyes from Sora to try and spot the cause of his uneasiness.  His gaze landed on Takeru who promptly returned a reassuring smile, silent encouragement   He passed to Taichi, his best man, best friend, uncomfortable to the extreme in the confines of fancy dress.  Taichi cocked his head in typical fashion, lips lifting to smile.  Yamato knew then he'd found his source and narrowed his eyes.  Tai's mouth had frozen, fighting to stay up in a plastic grin, his eyes shining with something unrecognizable, a jumble of emotions.  Yamato fought to remember what he was doing.  "I…"  He darted his eyes to the right, falling on Hikari, bedecked in iridescent purple.  He found his confirmation in her diverted stare, watching her brother with a face that could only be described as pained sympathy.  Something was now extremely not right, the air suddenly sour and open church daunting like a breathless void.  He cleared his throat.  "I…' but found he couldn't finish the sentence.

There were whispers behind him, accusation and concern arisen from his prolonged hesitation.  Sora's face had creased in worry, anxious and questioning.  Matt looked away to the ground, feeling her interrogative stare boring into his head.  In a matter of seconds, anticipation was dread, confidence uneasiness.  He hastily raked a hand through his hair, careful arrangement into disarray.  Finding a steadying breath and momentary courage he started give his reply.  But he took another look at Taichi, the false smile was fading, his face muscles quivering in the exertion of retaining it.  Yamato let out a deep breath and met the priest's eyes.  "I can't.  Not yet."  Ignoring the confused gasps from around, he marched off into one of the side rooms, locking the door behind him.

Matt leaned heavily against the door, recovering his normal breath, waiting for the impact of what he'd just done.  And strangely, he didn't feel anything, not devastation, not joy, not freedom, just numbness which only served to confuse him more.

There was a discreet knock on the door followed by Takeru's voice, predictably concerned.  "Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Let me in."

Yamato straightened himself, yanking open the door and allowing TK passage, unheeding of the many faces that lay beyond, including a panicked bride.

"What's wrong oni-san?"

Matt let a dry laugh escape.  "Actually, I don't really know.  But if you can get Taichi in here, maybe I can find out."

Takeru opened his mouth to ask why but promptly shut it, knowing his brother's stubborn 'not one more word' stance.  "Sure."

A moment later, Taichi's hesitant knock sounded against the door.  In response to Yamato's curt 'Come in' Tai warily stuck his head into the room, his rebellious hair winning the fight against gel and hair spray.  "TK said you wanted to see me?"  Matt nodded, back facing Tai as he stepped into the room and shut the door.

Matt watched summer play out outside the windows, waiting for Tai's predicable question, the burning question on everyone's mind.  He wasn't disappointed when Taichi asked 'What's wrong Matt?'  Yamato kept his answer short, flat.  "You tell me."

Tai sounded genuinely surprised.  "Me?  How would I know?"  He paused, taking a few steps closer to Matt.  "If this is cold feet, it's perfectly normal, Matt…"

Yamato whirled around, his face a foot from Tai's.  His eyes were burning, neither angry nor upset, only demanding, forceful.  "It's not cold feet.  It's you."  He allowed time for Tai to be taken back and swallow before pressing on.  "Something's wrong and I want to know what it is."

Taichi dropped his eyes, fingers playing nervously with a buttonhole. "I don't know what you mean.  I'm fine."

Matt let out a ragged breath walking past Taichi so that he was facing the door and away from his best friend.  His voice was even, would've been deadly if it had belonged to someone else other than Yamato.  "Cut the bullshit Tai.  There's something wrong and it's because of the wedding.  I saw it; Kari saw it.  Don't tell me it's nothing."

Tai turned, voice matching Matt's restrained emotion.  "It's nothing.  You were imagining things."

Again Matt spun around, challenging Tachi's definitive defensive stare.  "You're lying.  I want to know.  I'm your best friend."  He frowned at Taichi's stubborn silent face.  "Look, if our friendship means as much as it does to you as it does to me, then you'll tell me the truth.  No lies, no avoiding the question.  What the hell's wrong?"

Taichi fell quiet, still.  The tense silence flooded the room, an impossible eternity before Tai stirred with a sigh.  "Fine; I'll tell you what's wrong.  It's you."

"Me?  What about me?"

"It's how I feel about you."

Yamato's voice dropped low, childishly repeating the phrase just said.  "How you feel…?"

Tai's eyes had taken a sudden feverish quality.  "I love you.  I'm fucking in love with you!"  He ruthlessly tore through his hair, the carefully matted strands breaking and spiking out like springs.  His body jerked to movement, taking him to the window, his hands crushing the windowsill.  "Well, now you know."

Matt was silent, paralyzed with uncertainty.  He didn't quite know what he had suspected, maybe Tai having feelings for Sora, but this certainly wasn't one of those various half possibilities.  He made an attempt to speak, coming out with a pitiful "Tai" that failed to continue into a worthwhile sentence.

Tai had turned around to catch Yamato's eyes from across the room, a flicker of softness before they turned hard again.  He shook his head once, hard.  "No, it doesn't matter.  You have to go back out there and marry Sora.  Forget this.  This is your wedding; you should be with the one you love."

Matt let the two words slip involuntarily from fazed lips, slicing through Tai's words.  "Is she?"  He blinked, and in a flurry of rapid movement, yanked off his coat and tie.  Tai's questions were cut off by the loud rustle of Yamato's coat as it was crumpled and thrown it to the ground in a heap.  He looked earnestly to Tai, a flicker of indecision.  "I can't do this, not now.  I can't after all this.  Tell them I can't."  With that final vagueness, he flung open the door and pelted down the pews, disappearing into the white of the outside, unheeding of his name being called in his wake.

All eyes went from Yamato's back to Taichi, his form frozen in the doorframe.  He looked lost, unaware of all that surrounded him, the questions, the people, their voices.  The only answer he gave was Matt's two parting words.  "I can't…"

________________________________________________________

Author's Note:  Yeah, yeah, really clichéd huh?  Though I promise I'm trying to stay away from soap opera plot twists and huge gushing moments of sappiness.  Realism is the key for this fic.  Anyway, since this fic's finished, it'll be uploaded every two days or so, maybe three…


	2. Decisions, Decisions

Author's Notes:  Okay, so it's really four chapters, but I have to edit a lot.  So this is a bigger chapter.  There will be some time elements that may be confusing, but I'm trying to minimize them.  The narrative's at one month after the incident, but he's recalling some stuff during that month's time, okay?

Thanks to **Angel of Peace**, **katmon915**, **Angel Ran** (it's sorta finished but I'm busy and I don't have the time to edit.  Gomen; I'll try to get it up regularly), **nEo-cHaN**, **Seph Lorraine**, **FireDemon**, **jkb** (arigato gozaimasu)

Disclaimer:  Digimon is not mine.  

Cornered 

Chapter 2:  Decisions, Decisions

Yamato picked mindlessly at the steaming bowl of instant noodles in front of him.  A textbook laid open unread and thrown off to the side.  He sank deeper into the couch, letting the distracting images on the television fight off unwarranted thoughts.  It had been a month since he ran out on his own wedding, since everything he believed in so fervently seemed to flip upside down.  

He had a long walk home that day, strolling aimlessly through Odaiba's congested and winding streets, replaying Tai's words.  It was strange to be heard out loud, realizing that the idea wasn't as ridiculous as he would've thought previously.  He had always assumed they were just very close friends; maybe he was wrong.  There might have been a time when he had hoped for more, but even then it was only a 'might.'  The matter was serious and confusing.  He had collapsed onto the couch once he opened his apartment door, lying there for hours watching the subtle patterns on the white ceiling shift and change as the sun sank behind the cityscape.  When there was no more light but the dim afterglow of neon signs and fluorescent lamps outside, he flicked on the television.

The telephone rang halfway through a commercial, three rings before his answering machine picked up.  Takeru's voice came tentatively from the speaker.  "Oni-san?  If you're there, please answer the phone.  Everyone's worried about you.  Are you there?"

Yamato sat up and watched the little tape in the machine turn and let Takeru plead to silence.  When TK had finally given up and the little wheels had stopped turning, he fell back onto the sofa and regained his previous stupor .  He clicked the television shut and closed his eyes to sleep, mind swimming with a million half thoughts.

He awoke the next morning to sharp knocking on his apartment door, bang, bang in the morning quiet.  Groggily he dragged himself up, and peered through the door's peep hole.  His brother's curved image fidgeted nervously on the doorstep, his spherical fist rising to strike the wood again.  Matt opened the door peremptorily, facing Takeru with a blank face.  Yamato wasn't a reassuring sight, creased and wrinkled in his wedding clothes, sofa moulded hair, eyes that strained to stay open.  

Takeru hurried inside, dragging his brother behind him.  "You look like hell.  What's going on Matt?"

Yamato sighed, half a dozen false starts caught in his throat.  He sank listless into the couch once more.  "It's complicated."

TK nodded sympathetically, tactfully, irritatingly composedly.  "How about we take it slow, from the beginning?  What made you stop the wedding the first time?"

Matt refused to answer, swathing himself in silence.  But eventually he caught TK's expectant gaze and forced himself to speak, testing the words slowly on his tongue.  "There was something wrong.  I saw…I saw Taichi and Hikari and I knew it was something important."

TK nodded, the epitome of a therapist, sitting professionally on the sofa opposite.  "Okay, then you got me to call Tai in to talk to you.  What happened in the room?  Why did you run out?"

Yamato's words had come out sounding like questions.  "He said he loved me?  That he was in love with me?"

TK nodded, absorbing the new information with wordless surprise; of all the possibilities in his head, this one never considered even in passing.  He merely drew back into his adopted shrink persona.  "And so you were confused?"  Matt nodded.  "I see.  Does anything seem clearer after a night's sleep?"

"No, everything's still jumbled together.  I don't know what to do."

It caught TK off balance, the kind of wavering voice in his brother's words.  If anything, he had assumed Matt would go back to Sora.  He knew he was treading into deep waters, but he decided to dive in.  "Do you love him too?"  It was a blunt question, too heavy in its implications to seem appropriate for such a feeble sounding sentence.  Yamato blinked and leaned his head back against the couch.

"I don't know.  I just need time."  Matt stopped his study of the ceiling and looked at his brother with a pressing gaze.  "I need time to think everything through.  I need you to tell everyone that I want to be alone."

TK looked uncertain for a moment, but finally gave his assent.  "Fine, but call me when you've got everything clear, okay?"

"Yeah…"

It was another two weeks of sulking and confusion before Yamato had even a glimmer of truth.  He had unplugged his phone, abandoned the ceiling as a means of distraction and had started to really consider his feelings, everything he felt about Sora and Taichi.  After years of self-denial, of squashing unwanted thoughts, he found it difficult to think rationally without roadblocking himself every other train of thought.  Every thought about Taichi that dared to stray off the platonic path was met with aversion, his mind jumping to the next available non-Taichi train of thought.  It was a maddeningly slow pace as Yamato found to untangle his own mind's knots.

Takeru and his family had paid two unenlightening and strained visits the first week and he'd taken countless walks in the park, around the city, anywhere to think, but always ended at self-imposed dead ends and his regular seat on the couch.  

There was a loud knock on the door the third week, a single bang that echoed through the apartment.  Yamato grimaced and got up to see who it was.  He blinked at who stood on the other side, one of the last people he'd expect to see.

"Yamato?"  Hikari's voice came muffled from the hall.  "Are you home?"

He pulled open the door warily; she was the sister after all.  "Kari?  What're you doing here?"

She looked up, laughing nervously without reason.  "You know, I'm not really sure.  I guess I just wanted to talk to you."

"Uh, okay, sure.  Come in if you don't mind the mess."  

This time she chuckled out of real amusement.  "Please; I lived in the same room with Taichi for over ten years; this is nothing."

Yamato allowed himself a small smile, knowing full well the flaws in Tai's personality, messy being one of the big ones.  "In that case, have a seat."  He dropped into conversational pleasantries, gingerly working his way gradually into the more difficult topics.  "So how's everyone?"

Hikari plopped down onto a stuffed armchair, folding her hands together over crossed legs.  "Okay I guess.  I mean most of us are fine for the most part."  She laughed awkwardly.  "Mr. and Mrs. Takenouchi want your head, but that's mainly because of Sora."  Hikari stopped, reading Yamato's face for any sign of emotion but found nothing.  "She's all over the place, sometimes crying and sometimes fuming, but I think it's just because she's wants to know why you left her at the altar."  She bit her lip again watching Matt's impassive face and hastened to continue.  "And oni-chan's been moping around, a little nervous I guess, but mostly guilty.  He blames himself for ruining the wedding and I don't think I blame him.  It is rather a trend with him, messing things up I mean.  Remember the train incident when he pulled the brake?"  Kari trailed off seeing Yamato's lack of humour.  She decided to get straight to the point.  "So how're things going with you?"

"You mean about my dilemma?  I guess I'm making some progress.  TK probably told you all what happened…"

She shook her head.  "No, he didn't want to say anything that you might not want told.  Tai told me what happened."

Silence froze between them, both focusing intently on the same watermark on the coffee table.  Matt finally broke the deadlock.  "You knew didn't you?  That's why you looked so sad at the wedding."

"Yeah, I've known about it for a long time.  He hid it really well from everyone else."

"How long?"

Kari smiled sadly.  "Seems like forever.  I've known since you two entered high school.  Almost seven years."

"Seven years…why the hell did he keep it to himself all this time?"

Hikari gave a helpless shrug.  "You know how he is, no sense of responsibility.  He saw you and Sora together in love, and he just couldn't bring himself to tell you.  I wanted him to, but he said you were already involved with someone."

"It's just so stupid.  I mean, seven years…"

"I know.  But you seemed like you were in love, and he didn't want to interfere, and maybe he was a little afraid of your reaction."

"Still, he should've said something."  Matt buried his face in his hands.  "Then this whole giant mess wouldn't have happened."

Kari reached over and patted his knee reassuringly.  "I know, but you know how stubborn he can be, just a regular old mule."  She scooted a little closer, making her words soft, soothing.  "Do think you could like him more than a friend?"

Matt looked up, a forlorn smile on his face.  "That's all I've been thinking about.  And as upsetting as it's been, I've forced myself to accept some things."

Kari's voice was soft, encouraging.  "Like what?"

Matt's mind flashed those buried images, the times when he'd catch sight of Tai down the hall and find himself smiling like an idiot.  When Tai got really close and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest so hard it hurt.  Those moments when they were watching a movie and the light from the TV made Tai look like a zombie and he had the inexplicable urge to move a little closer.  Matt shook his head dismissively, dispelling the reverie.  "Just that I think I really did care for him."  

Kari smiled uncertainly.  "Do you still have those feelings?"

"I don't know.  I've learned to stop myself from even acknowledging them when they come up so much that I don't even know anymore.  All I know is that I care about him a lot, but if I love him, I can't say.  Things have changed in seven years."

Kari tried to not press her luck, but she needed the next answer.  "And Sora?  Do you love her?"

Matt's face grimaced.  "I thought I did.  I mean I care for her, a lot.  But maybe I never really did; maybe I just told myself I did even if deep down I knew I couldn't."  Yamato sighed.  "Sora, she's beautiful; she's caring and understanding, and we've had all sorts of fun, but I never felt that heart racing rush when I was with her.  But I really _do_ care for her.  It's all so confusing."  Yamato groaned in frustration.  "I don't know how this happened.  I had feelings for my best friend and refused to accept them and then forced myself to love a friend who I've now hurt.  And then this huge wedding fiasco; why can't things just be simple for a change?"

Hikari had moved to the seat next to Matt, taking one of his hands and squeezing comfortingly.  "It's okay Yamato.  Sora's understanding and so is Taichi.  All you need is some more time to sort out what you feel and talk to them both.  And even if you find you don't love either one of them, at least you'll have known you haven't made a big mistake, right?"  She hugged him briefly and stood up.  "I'll leave you to think now; besides I've got some errands to run."  She started to go but stopped short.  "And Yamato?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't be like Tai.  Know what you want and go for it.  This is your life and you have the right to be selfish."  

The door scraped closed behind her, leaving Yamato alone on the couch.  "Thanks," he said to no one but himself and resumed his deep thoughts

Yamato shook the memories from his head.  A month's deliberation had come down to this; there was no turning back.  He carefully picked up the phone, listened to the dial tone for a moment and began to dial.  His breath was quick as the phone rang, once, twice…

_______________________________________________

Author's Notes:  Eh, sorry for the cliffhanger-ish ending, but it seems a good place to leave off.  Expect the next chapter up in a few days.  And as always, leave a review to let me know what you think of the story.


	3. Sticks And Stones

Author's Notes:  You know there part when I said this fic was done and I was going to upload every 3 days?   Now that it's 10 days later, I'd like to grovel big time.  Gomen, gomen.  It just slipped my mind, but I'll try and I promise, to get to the end of this fic by the end of next week, by October 27, just watch. *voice inside head* (yeah right).

Much gratitude to **jkb** (eh?  Um, thanks very much.  'Yellow' is the abnormal one, the one that actually doesn't suck), **Angel Ran** (yeah I know, like sometimes you read a fic where they just jump into each other's arms…just needs more realism), **KellyQ** (no Sora bashing here), **Defining Angel**, **Cobalt Princess**, **That Girl**, **nEo-cHaN**, **kale** (don't worry about it.  My writing's anything but 'literature' or even 'good.'  There's millions of other author's out there that make me feel the same way too, but all we can do is try, ne?  And I've read some of your work; it's good and it's interesting.  Don't stop.)

Disclaimer:  See, if I really owned Digimon, this story here would probably be in print, in manga form or at least a short anime vignette.  And since my debut into the Japanese art world has not arrived yet, one can only assume that Digimon is not, in fact, my intellectual property.

Cornered 

Chapter 3:  Sticks and Stones

The phone rang twice before being picked up, a man's voice on the other end.  Yamato swallowed, controlling the slight uncertainty in his voice.  "Um, is Sora there?"

"Is this Yamato?"

Matt gulped.  "Y-Yes.  Is Sora there?"

The other voice turned emotionless, cold.  "She's here, but I'm not sure if I want you to talk to her.  You've hurt her already."

Yamato looked thankfully at his locked apartment door.  "I'm sorry sir, but this is very important.  Could you at least ask her if she would talk to me?"

"Fine."  There was a lull on the line, background music of sizzling and shuffling.  Sora's voice cut abruptly through the lulling domestic melody.  "Matt?"

Yamato winced; she had the inflection in her voice, the one that meant she was hurt and pissed off.  "Yeah, it's me.  I need to talk to you…about us…about everything."

"Fine.  Go on."

"This is really important and I want to talk to you face to face."

"At your apartment.  When?"

Matt cast a quick glance at the red numbers on his alarm clock.  "In an hour?"

Sora's voice was quick, final.  "Fine.  In an hour."  The sharp click of the phone being replaced reminded Yamato of being stung by a bee.

Matt depressed the button, waiting for the dial tone.  Quickly, he jabbed in the next phone number, licking his dry lips.  On the third ring, Hikari's irritated voice drifted over the line.  "You're such an ass Tai."  She laughed guiltily into the line.  "Sorry, I mean, who is it?"

"Oh Kari, it's Matt.  Can I speak to Taichi?"

Kari's voice dropped its anger, the sound of the receiver being pressed against cloth.  A second later after a few muffled words, Tai's voice appeared, careful and mincing.  "Matt?"

Yamato swallowed a dry mouthful of air, the sudden infusion of incongruity between him and Tai spanning like an ocean.  Their relationship had taken an off ramp into a place without rules or directions, a place that was dark and unforgiving.  He fought to control his voice and stop the stutter that weighted his tongue.  "Yeah, it's me.  We need to talk about things.  Can you get to my apartment in a couple of hours?"

Tai sounded timid, uncharacteristically frightened, unsteady.  "Uh, yeah, sure.  I'll be there.  Bye."  

"Bye."  Click.  Another sting.  Yamato surveyed his apartment with distaste, hefting a large pile of garbage from the table and dropping it into the wastepaper basket, all the while thinking of his impending discussion with Sora.  None of the possible scenarios let both of them off unscathed.  He shook his head discouragingly and continued to clean up.

Yamato avoided Sora's eye contact as he let her pass into the apartment.  She walked rigidly in, a hard silence on her lips.   They sat without speaking, drawing on whatever courage laying around to talk.  Sora broke the silence first, one quiet loaded word.  "Why?"

Matt sighed.  "It wasn't right Sora."

She was disbelieving.  "Wasn't right?  Like our seven years together weren't right?"

"No, it's just not that simple."

"You don't love me?"  It wasn't so much a question as an accusation.

"I thought I did.  I thought I loved you."

Sora was angry, spitting out her words.  "Thought?  Seven years you _thought_ you were in love with me?  I don't get it."

Matt groped for an answer, but was unable to find a more harmless one other than the stark truth.  "I care a lot about you Sora, a lot.  And I convinced myself that I did love you all these years."

"So what changed?"

"At the wedding I just realized that maybe it wasn't love, that I might have fooled myself to see you more than a friend."

Sora was tearfully frustrated, her hands wringing themselves wildly.  "I still don't understand.  What could've happened at the wedding to make you suddenly change your mind?"  She stopped short, backtracking in her thoughts, striking out with venom.  "It was Taichi!  What did he say about me?  What did he say to change your mind?"

Matt shook his head hard.  "No, it's not like that.  He didn't say anything about you.  In fact, he told me to go marry you."

"Then what the hell was it?!"

"It was…it was the fact that he said he loved me."

Sora's mouth unhinged on its own accord, dropping.  "That's it?  You're gay?"

"Gay, bi, I don't really know, and don't really care.  I just started to realize that day that I may love him back.  The feelings I have for you just don't compare to those I have for him."

Sora had dried her eyes, only sniffing quietly.  "Did you love him all through the years we were dating?"

Yamato froze.  "I-I think I did, but I kept denying it to myself."

Sora finished his trail of reasoning.  "So you insisted to yourself that you loved _me_?"

Matt nodded, looking down to his lap.  "I'm very sorry Sora; you know I wouldn't intentionally hurt you like this."

"But you did hurt me, didn't you?  All because you couldn't make yourself face the fact that you might have liked Taichi."  Sora leaned forward, elbows on her knees, head cradled in her hands.  Her voice had lost its strength, now broken and low.  "You've really hurt me Yamato.  You've led me on for years and then leave me on our wedding day.  I don't know if I can ever forgive you."

"Sora…"

"No, if I can ever forgive you, it'll take a long time."  She got up quickly, the sharp rustle of her clothes.  In a second of fatality, she walked out and slammed the door shut behind her.  

Yamato slumped down onto the sofa.  This was the lowest he'd ever felt.  He couldn't even imagine being in Sora's position.  Dating someone for seven years and have them leave you on your wedding day and a month later to find out that they never loved you in the first place.  He couldn't have hurt her more if he had tried and there wasn't any quick fix cure that might miraculous salvage their friendship.  He screwed up big time.  The minutes passed by without consulting him, the hour reprieve dwindling in the sweep of the long minute hand.

The grating buzz of the doorbell shocked Matt from his depressed near slumber.  He knew that whatever happened in the span of the next quarter hour basically determined if there was at least some hope at finding that silver lining.  He swung open the door, Tai's shadowed figure apprehensive in the hall.  Taichi's shoulders were sagging, his eyes cast downward in defeat.  "Come in."  Yamato watched Taichi drag himself into the apartment like a wounded animal.  Anger rose in Matt; this wasn't Tai, this frightened creature that shirked from everything.  And this certainly wasn't what Yamato needed; he needed strength, courage, someone to support him, and Tai obviously wasn't a tapable reservoir right now.

Taichi slipped onto the couch, refusing to make eye contact.  Yamato took the seat directly next him.  This was not Taichi, this sniveling thing.   Yamato deciding to go on the attack, provoke Taichi enough to regain his personality, reestablish their friendship through anger.  It'd worked before and he hoped it would this time.  "I'm angry with you Tai."  Tai nodded and lowered his head accordingly, his folding only serving to annoy Matt more.  "At least seven years you've felt this way about me, and you didn't even make one attempt to tell me.  Not one."  Tai flinched.  "And you were going to keep your mouth shut and let me marry Sora without a second thought about confessing.  I had to force it out of you, and only after I had to use the friendship card.  That isn't how you treat someone you love.  You don't not tell them how you feel.  In fact, I don't know if I even believe you when you say you love me.  If you really loved me, you would've told me long ago."

Tai's head shot up, eyes blazing under a thin sheen of moisture.  He roughly rubbed away at the incipient tears, face contorted in defiant rage.  His voice was hoarse and upset.  "How _dare_ you think that I don't love you?!  I kept my mouth shut for seven years just so you could be happy.  I was going to rip my heart in half just to see you fucking walk down the aisle.  Do you have a fucking clue how hard it was to walk home alone in the cold after your engagement party after a night of stupid smiles and fake cheer?  Or seeing you and Sora together at the altar and knowing there was no chance in hell for me?  If that's not love, I must be a fucking masochist."

Matt suppressed an amused chuckle.  The fire had exploded, the warm heat, the intense feeling of connection throwing them back into familiar territory.  "Do you still love me?" he asked softly.

Tai laughed incredulously at the ridiculousness of the question.  "Haven't you heard a single word of what I've just been saying?"

Yamato leaned in closer, staring into Tai's impassioned eyes.  "I just needed to be sure."  He moved forward, tentatively pressing his lips firmly to Tai's.  It was a brief exchange, awkward in the naiveté of the situation, but innocently heartfelt.  Tai's breath hung heavy in Matt's face when Matt pulled out of the kiss, staring into puzzled brown eyes.  "I think I love you too."

Taichi blinked, face draining of its angry flush and replaced by a soft warmth.  He smiled goofily, bordering on dazed idiocy.  He opened his mouth to speak but decided against it with a shake of the head, and smirking, launched himself at Matt, crashing both of them into the sofa cushions.  He looked down at Matt, curiously predatory and kissed him breathlessly.

After an immeasurable amount of time needed for Tai to purge his pent up feelings, they reluctantly sat up on the couch.  Taichi had a firm grasp of one of Yamato's hands, fingers entwining soothingly.  He passed his tongue over his lips, aware of himself slightly panting.  His voice was low.  "Did you settle everything with Sora?"

Matt tensed, his satisfied smile fading, supplanted by a grimace.  "I've made a huge mess of things with her.  She's really upset and it's all my fault.  She said she might never forgive me."

Taichi nodded.  "She's just hurting; I'm sure it's her pain talking.  I don't think she could ever really stay angry forever.  It'll just take some time."  He paused.  "If you think it'll help I'll talk to her and apologize."

"No, don't.  I think it's best if we left her alone for a while.  Besides, you're not to blame.  I would've broken her heart sooner or later."

 ________________________________________

The sun had dipped beneath the horizon, the living room bathed in blue light.  Taichi had flipped on the television, the jumping images throwing strange light against his face, eyes hollowed out into dark holes, his skin scoured white.  Yamato smiled to himself and shifted closer to Taichi, resting his head on the other's shoulder.  In response, an arm encircled his waist and kept him pressed up against Tai's rising and falling chest.  Yamato, feeling extremely content, even with his heart thumping uncontrollably in his throat, sank into the cushions and watched the TV movie with half lidded eyes.  He wasn't sure if he heard Taichi say 'I love you' but it was enough to fall asleep in his arms.

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Author's Notes:  Ah, so there's the Taito-ness.  I've got one more chapter, to wrap everything up nicely.  And hopefully, it'll be up soon.  Won't you review?  It'd cheer me up ever so much.


	4. Lust In The Dusk

Author's Notes:  Ooy, had this done but couldn't find the time to edit it.  Can't believe it took me this long though.  But this is definitely the last chapter.  Thanks everyone for reading.  There's some curse words here and some sexual innuendos.  Blame Taichi; he's got the dirty mind.

Thanks to **Ambivalence** (I'm glad you updated 'State of Mind'.  It's really good), **Adam**, **clydethehedgehog87**, **Sophie V**, **Fire Demon**, **Kale** (thanks a lot, praise that is unworthy of me), **jkb**, **Aeris Tsukiyono** (yeah, thought I'd go the predictable route but try to keep it realistic and all.  I know, it was so busy here; I couldn't get to edit this at all.  Gomen nasai!)

Disclaimer:  Not mine.

Cornered 

Chapter 4:  Lust in the Dusk

The year had passed quickly, and Taichi and Yamato found themselves at the end of their university careers.  The air lay thick with the expectation of job offers and relief at not having to see another classroom ever again.

Hikari approached Taichi and Yamato, weaving through the crowd between beaming parents and recent graduates.  It was a black gown sea as she clutched her camera tighter.  She strained towards her brother's figure a few feet off.  A final push and she found herself on the brink of the parking lot.  "Oni-chan!"  

Taichi looked vaguely around for the owner of the voice that called him; he stopped in time to see Hikari run towards him.  She collided into him that sent him staggering a little back.  He hugged her back hard, spinning her around in happiness.  "Hikari-chan!   Where's everyone else?"  

Hikari laughed and then frowned at the thousands of people on the field.  "Probably lost somewhere out there."  She launched herself at her brother again.  "Soo, how does it feel to be out of school?"

Taichi beamed, the best kid-in-a-candy store look he could muster.  "Best feeling in the world."  He watched Yamato and raised an eyebrow lasciviously.  "Well, maybe second best."  He laughed when Yamato gave an indignant snort and glared back.  "So what's going on at home?"

Yamato watched the scene between Taichi and Hikari in a strange mixture of embarrassment and envy.  They were laughing and talking over one another while he just looked on like some statue.  He carefully edged slightly away, letting his eyes skim over the thousands of heads.  Takeru and otousan had to be her somewhere.  The crowd was at least starting to dissipate, no doubt spreading out to celebrate in expensive restaurants, crowded bars and flashy clubs.  He made his way towards the podium, the little wooden box where the President of the University had stood just an hour before wishing them luck.

He almost had that dreamy look on his face, knowing things were pretty much perfect at the moment.  That is until he fuzzily spotted Sora off to his right.  He could recognize the reddish brown hair anywhere.  He hastily turned away.  Things hadn't healed between them yet; in fact, there hadn't been more than three words between them since _the_ conversation.  He'd see her often enough, just coming out of buildings, across the quad, having coffee in the library.  She'd seen him too; their eyes had met more than a few times.  But things were so strained between them that they froze and then hurried away in the opposite direction.

He was almost sure the anger must've passed.  Surely, she could at least talk to him, right?  His lips were dry as he slowly began to turn back around.  It was only a matter of time before he'd have to talk to her anyway, and this was as good a time as any.  But then someone shouted his name behind his back and he cursed and sighed in relief at the same time.

Takeru ran faster, dodging around a few more students.  "Yamato!"  He vaguely looked back over his shoulder, seeing his parents following at a much more sedate pace.  "Onni-san!"

Yamato watched Takeru run towards him with almost a smile.  His brother was always happy, still as happy as when they were younger.  "What are you so happy about?"

Takeru panted, coming to stop.  "Why your graduation of course."  He took another over his shoulder.  "Okaasan and otousan are just behind me.  We were looking for you, but Taichi said he didn't know where you were."

"Yeah, he was talking to Hikari so I thought I'd go take a walk or something."  

"I know what you mean.  When we got there, the Yagamis were taking millions of pictures; it was scary."

Yamato laughed; he'd quite gotten used to how tight the Yagami family was, even if it was a little too perfect family for him.  "I bet they were all hugging like a picture you see on the cover of some family magazine."

Takeru nodded brightly, taking another look behind him.  "Finally, here they come."

Yamato watched his parents come up with mixed feelings; sure he'd gotten over the strain with his mother, but thins between them were always still a little weird, seeing as how they saw each other really only on the holidays.  But today, she was beaming like all the other parents, chest puffed out with that maternal pride that nothing could deflate.  "Yamato!" she called.

Yamato almost choked by the tight hug he found himself in.  His mother hastily pulled away, watching him with those appraising looks.  Was he healthy enough?  Was he happy?  Satisfied, she almost misted over.  "I can't believe my oldest son just graduated college.  You're already an adult."  

There was an amused exasperation welling up inside Yamato.  He'd been an adult for years, just never in the eyes of his parents.  Maybe they liked having someone to baby and be nosy about and thought evilly that TK would soon find himself in that position.  "Yeah, can't believe I don't ever have to step inside another classroom again."

His father chuckled and turned a little serious.  "Any idea what you're going to do?"

Of course Yamato didn't have a clue what he wanted to do, but he thought better of the idea after looking at his father.  He was always preoccupied with work and responsibility and things.  And though Yamato could never begrudge him that (he did support them both afterall), he sometimes wondered if his father had ever really had any fun.  As it was, a good vague answer that implied a solid job in the future was better than the truth.  "Uh, one of my professors said he'd look into an internship for me.  If I do well, I could probably get a job there."

His father visibly relaxed, his interest showing through his work tired eyes.  "Oh, where?"

"Kawakaji Communications."  Everyone knew that company; the biggest in Odaiba with contacts around the world.  Of course, Yamato didn't like the idea of an office job, and the line for jobs there was so long that he probably would never be able to get one anyway.  But his statement had had its effect, his father nodded and smiling, beaming with his own kind of pride.  

"That's a great opportunity, Yamato.  I'm very proud you're thinking of your future."

"But it's very competitive there; I may not get a job there."  He desperately tried to cover his ass; no need to get their hopes up too much.

But his father nodded quickly, probably out of experience.  "Of course, the job market is a hard one…"  

Before his father could continue, his mother broke in again, probably seeing the serious possibility of this turning into a long, tiresome lecture.  "Oh Yamato, we don't have a picture of you yet, well up close anyway."

Yamato winced inside; pictures always had the tendency to turn out frighteningly ugly.  And all that posing and smiling…  He shuddered.  Resignedly, he let his mother lead him to the podium, with the school in the backdrop.  And as he recovered from the first fuzzy light still burning in his eyes, another flash came.  Then Takeru was at his side, and then his parents.  By the time the world returned back to its right brightness, he found the field around them fairly empty.  His mother was putting away rolls of film; no doubt she'd be able to keep a photo shop in business for months with the amount of pictures she took.  But his alarm came from what was coming just over his mother's shoulders.  Sora walked slowly but purposefully towards them and he could feel the nervousness bubble back into his stomach.  This was something he wasn't looking forward to.

Sora stopped a few feet off, looking at him.  He nodded and tried to make a normal excuse to leave, but his family had spotted Sora.  Concerned glances shot between them all; everyone pretty much knew the non-relationship between Sora and Yamato since the wedding incident.  He shook off their concern with a shake of head, trying to paste on a smile, and succeeding a little.  Sora motioned with her head towards the soccer nets.

There was silence between them, not the kind that he shared with Taichi; this one was uncomfortable and anxious.  Yamato heaved a sigh and took the plunge.  "Sora…"

Sora waited patiently, face still unreadable.  "Yes, Yamato?"

"Sora…"  He left off at another lame pause and grew angry with himself.  This was supposed to be simple; just tell her he wanted to be friends and let things roll from there.  But his mouth had other ideas.  "Uh, I…well…we haven't talked since forever…"

Sora nodded and smiled a little.  "It's okay Yamato, you don't have to say anything.  I think I've finally forgiven you."

Yamato must've gaped cause Sora was giggling.  "Forgiven?  Uh, great!"  Vaguely he could feel his brain jumping for joy; it was so much easier than he had thought it might be.  He realized belatedly, it was his turn to say something.  "You know, Sora, I've missed talking to you."

"Me too.  We used to be able to talk for hours about everything."  She darkened a little.  "We were really great friends; don't know how I couldn't have seen that was what we only were."

Yamato sighed.  "I'm really sorry Sora…I don't know…"

She silenced him again, shaking her head.  "I should be sorry for bringing it up again.  I'm happy for you; I see you and Taichi together and I know that's how it should've been in the first place.  It was a hard pill to swallow but I had to stop being blind someday."

Yamato strove to change the topic; somehow, he knew that even though she'd gotten over the wedding incident, the whole topic was still a bit raw.  "So…you seeing anyone?"  He knew he was treading on thin ice, but he couldn't find anything else to say.  Desperate times and desperate measures and all that.  "I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't, as how that would mean getting over me."  He stuck out his chin in an exaggerated gesture of arrogance.

They both shared a laugh, Sora rolling her eyes.  "Oh yes, no once could match your magnificence."  She brightened considerably.  "Actually, I'm seeing this guy I met last month.  He's really great."

"Oh?  I'm glad.  Is it serious?"

Sora reddened slightly.  "Maybe; he's really nice and kind and sweet."  She stared off dreamily for a second and Yamato knew she was halfway down the aisle already.  He vaguely recalled that he never saw her look like that when they were together.  He listened back in, realizing he'd missed a chunk of what she'd said.  "And he doesn't have a hot best friend, of any gender.  Believe me, I checked."

Yamato blinked a few times, before he felt the corners of his mouth rising.  They laughed at that for a bit.  "God, it's been a while hasn't it, Sora?"  She nodded and they started to talk about everything that had happened, minutes dragging away in the blink of an eye.

Eventually Sora looked down on her watch and cursed.  "Ah, I was supposed to meet my boyfriend 15 minutes ago!"  The next moment saw her running across the field, shouting back at Yamato.  "Call me!  I want to introduce him to you and Taichi!"

Yamato nodded and waved as she disappeared around the math building.  Damn, she's fast.  He stared after her a bit, before a familiar touch reawakened him.  Taichi was standing off to his side, looking a little worried.  "What's wrong?"

Taichi looked towards the math building.  "That was Sora wasn't it?"

"Yeah."  Yamato smiled.  "We just made up."

"Really?"

"Yep.  In fact she wants us to meet her new boyfriend."  Yamato swat at Taichi when he made a sick face.  "I know, I know, but we have to be nice."

Taichi abruptly pulled themselves together, skimming his lips against Yamato's cheek.  "I like being nice…" he almost trilled. 

Yamato knew that voice and felt a little dirty.  It was a good feeling. He touched the soft skin of Taichi's neck, drawing them together.  A kiss, a simple little thing that people did but miraculously never lost its specialness.  Yamato drew back smiling.  "So what should we do now?"

Taichi thought for a moment, starting to grin devilishly.  "Well…"  He leaned in close to Yamato's neck.  "We could go to a bar, get completely smashed and fuck till morning…"

Yamato shook his head in disbelief, snorting, partly amused by Taichi's crudeness.  "What am I going to do with you?"

"Fuck me?"  Taichi's lips begged, placing a small kiss below an ear.

Yamato smiled wantonly.  "We can go to the bar and see what happens afterwards…"

Taichi almost pouted, pushing Yamato away.  "Fine, but…"  He paused and then snatched Yamato's cap off his head, holding up the black square by the tassel.  "You'll have to catch me first!"  Taichi ran a few yards away, holding up the cap in taunt.  "Come on Yama!"

"I am _not_ chasing after you."

"Oh, scared you can't catch me are you?"  Taichi stuck out his tongue.  "Come on Yama, afraid I'm too good for you?  Are you Yama-chan?  Ya-ma-chan!"

Yamato growled once before taking a mad dash at Taichi, just barely missing the other boy as he dodged.  "Get back here, baka!"

Across the field, Takeru turned to Hikari.  "I think Taichi's a bad influence on Yamato"

Hikari nodded in agreement, watching the two twenty two year olds running and flailing across the grass.  "I think so too."  The two figures eventually collided together, a mess of arms and legs.  Hikari cleared her throat, as the two figures weren't getting up.  "Uh, you want to go find our parents, TK?"

"Yeah, why don't we?"  They hastily turned away from the unfolding scene and walked off quickly.  Something things were better off not seen.

The sun skimmed the horizon, orange light bathing the two boys on the grass as they continued to make out.  Hikari hoped fervently that Taichi and Yamato could make it back to their apartment before someone gets them arrested for indecent exposure.

___________________________________________

Author's Notes:  Hehe…finished.  Thought I'd end on a happy ending.  Sorry for the few curses, but Taichi can be quite crass when he wants to be.  Anyway, thanks everyone for reading the fic!


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